Iran, China and Russia criticized the decision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to refer the issue of Iran's nuclear program to the United Nations Security Council. The three countries consider this measure ill-advised and that the issue should be resolved through dialogue and cooperation with Iran.
The IAEA's decision was made due to Iran's non-compliance with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. Tehran has been accused of not fully cooperating with the agency's inspections and of not sufficiently clarifying the activities of its nuclear program.
The three nations that criticized the decision are members of the UN Security Council and have been Iran's partners on diplomatic issues. Their joint opposition could hinder any punitive measures the council may consider against Tehran.
This episode comes in a context of growing international tensions over Iran's nuclear program, which several Western countries suspect has military objectives, although Iran insists its program is exclusively peaceful.
